Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 49, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 17, 2000 Page: 1 of 25
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COMP.
SOUTHWEST MICROPUBLISHING
2627 E YANDELL DR
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Levelland And
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Hockley County
News-Press
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VOUMl- 22 \t Mill It i‘) I SI'S I i(» AHO lli.nui l(iiH I t vt lland, lexas 7‘>.VS<* H*2H I'hnnt ,SO(>) Sunday, St-ptcmber 17, 2000 IH l'agt-% in 2 Sections and Supplements
LISD board cuts tax rate, moves on tennis courts
Levelland school board
members trimmed the tax rate by a
penny Thursday and hired a
construction manager to oversee the
rehabilitation of the high school
tennis courts. H
A public hearing on the
proposal to lower the tax rate from
$ 1.50 to $1.49 per $100 valuation
drew no comment from citizens
Supt. Bob Martin said the tax
rate cut was reflective of similar
cuts in tax levies that have occurred
recently in the region.
“We’re pleased to be able to
present you a balanced budget,’’
Martin said.
Trustees also approved a
financial report that showed the
district ending die 1999-2000 school
y ear with a small surplus.
For the year, which ended Aug.
31, the school district had total
revenues of $23,653,518. The
budget was $23,632,533, leaving a
surplus of $20,985.
“These are some positive
things.” said Kent Boyd, director of
business services. “1 think it’s been
a good year.”
Martin said one goal that the
district appears to be achieving has
been to “stop drawing down on our
reserv es ”
“We have accomplished that,”
Martin said “You see how difficult
it is to put back money But we’re
doing that with this $200,000.”
He said administrator Jerry
Beard has been a tremendous help to
the district in obtaining funds
through various grants.
Martin recommended that the
board approve McCutchin
Construction as construction
manager for the tennis courts
project
McCutchin has done a good job
for the school district in the past, he
said. Martin noted that the state
Legislature enacted changes in the
law that now allow public schools to
hire a construction manager without
going through a bidding process
A drawing by BGR Architects
showed the project with eight tennis
courts, movable bleachers,
concession stands and restrooms.
The bleachers, stands and
restrooms would serve both the
tennis courts-and the softball field.
The cost of the overall project
could be between $300,000 and
$400,000.
If the district could use the base
of the original six courts to build on,
then the cost of the project would be
less, Martin said.
McCutchin will oversee the
project at a rate of 8 percent of its
costs.
Martin said the project was a
“Number 1 priority” for the district
in the area of facility improvements
Trustee J.L. “Whitey” Barnett
asked if a compaction test would be
performed before concrete is poured
Martin said the ground would
be analyzed before the work begins
Mike McNeely, who was sworn
in as a new trustee Thursday, asked
what kind of life the district might
get from new courts.
Martin said that cable tension
concrete like that used at the junior
high school has “lasted a long time ”
The bo^rd unanimously
approved Brodie Hutchinson’s
motion to award the contract to
McCutchin.
Trustees also approved a
resolution sanctioning 4-H as an
extracurricular activity, and
recognizing Extension Service
agents as “adjunct" staff members
of the school district.
The action will allow the district
to count students participating in 4-
H activities a$ being in attendance
for Foundation School Program
purposes, said Deputy Supt. Mark
Holcomb
Holcomb gave trustees an
overview of the results of the
summer TAAS tests and
enrollments
The six seniors who did not pass
the exam was the “lowest number of
seniors” who have not passed in a
number of years, he said
Student enrollments for the
district this week were down about
145 compared to a year ago, he said.
Student enrollments as of Labor
Day were 3,000; they were 3,162 on
Labor Day 1999.
Enrollments for Labor Day in
1995 tallied 3,601 students.
Holcomb noted that other area
school districts, including Lubbock,
Plainview and Snyder, are reporting
fewer student numbers this fall
compared to a year ago
He informed the board that full-
day school for 3- and 4-year-old
students should be ready by the start
of the spring semester
The regional Head Start
program has been approved for
funding for the program. Holcomb
said.
Research has shown that
children who begin school in early
childhood programs do betterthan
youngsters who do not, Holcomb
said.
Trustees approved a
recommendation to hire two
teaching assistants, Michele Durham
and Charlotte Worley, at South
Elementary.
The board also approved a
revised substitute teacher's salary
schedule
Under the schedule, substitutes
would be paid $40 a day is they
have a minimum of 15 college hours
and less than three years of
acceptable LISD substitute
experience.
Substitutes would earn $45 a
day if they have a minimum of 60
college hours or more than three
hours of acceptable experience
They would earn $50 a day if
they are a certified teacher or a
person with a college degree or more
than five years of acceptable
experience
Board members approved the
purchase of two 71 -passenger buses
for $97,570 from Blue Star Bus
Sales
They also OK’d the purchase
of a diesel pickup for $26,971 from
Smith South Plains, and an Exiss
gooseneck trailer for $18,990 from
South Plains Truck & Equipment
In a review of cafeteria
operations, trustees learned that the
district ended the 1999-2000 school
year with a profit of $103,067. Total
receipts for that period were
$1,031,512.
Only one campus, the high
school, reported a net loss of
$12,495
However, the high school snack
bar made a profit of $15,507 for the
year, according to the report
Li
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FRIDAY AFTERNOON FIRE -- The driver of this car. Delia Tenorio of Levelland. was not hurt when it caught
fire Friday afternoon at the intersection of 13“' Street and Avenue C The lire appeared to have started in the engine
compartment. It was the latest of a rash of vehicle fires that has plagued county motorists recently (Staff Photo)
County grand jury returns indictments on 25 people
Felony indictments were
returned against 25 people by a
grand jury Thursday in Levelland.
Two men were indicted on the
same charge of aggravated assault
for injuring a man with a baseball
bat and a knife
Jesse Joe Garcia. 17, of
Lubbock was indicted for the
offense Bond was set at $10,000.
Garcia was charged with hitting
Richard Leyva with a baseball bat
and cutting him with a knife
Leyva was bleeding heavily
from the head after he was involved
in a fight earlv the morning of July
28
Also indicted for aggravated
assault was Joshua Sanchez. 18, of
Levelland Bond was set at $10,000.
The grand jury indicted Sanchez
on a second charge of burglary of a
habitation His bond tallied $10,000
for that offense
Sanchez was charged with
entering the home of Rebecca
Valdez on Aug 17. reports showed.
Joshua Zapata of Lubbock was
indicted for possession of more than
four ounces but less than five
pounds of marijuana. Bond was
. -:*iJ
recommended at $5,000.
Zapata was arrested Sept 7
after DPS Trooper Lance Parker
stopped a vehicle that was traveling
74 mph in a 65 mph zone The
driver, Matthew Gomez, was also of
Lubbock.
Parker searched the vehicle
after detecting an odor of marijuana
VCR were among the items taken.
Christopher Drachenbcrg was
indicted for the same crime Bond
for the 17-year-old defendant-w as
also set at $2,500.
James Douglas Eady was
indicted for forgery Bond was
$2,500.
Eady was charged,, with
it. A baggie containing marijuana attempting to pass a forged chick for
was found under a seat, along with a
partially burned joint
Also indicted for possession of
marijuana in the same case was
Mercedes Vasquez Bond for the
Lubbock resident was set at $5,000.
The grand jury indicted Rosario
Apodaca for criminal mischief
Bond was $2,500.
Apodaca was charged with
destroying walls and removing
fixtures from a mobile home owned
by Angelita Mathis on Aug 14.
Damage was estimated at more than
$1,500 but less than $20,000.
Joshua Charles was indicted
Thursday for burglary of a building
Bond was set at $2,500
Charles, 17, was charged with
burglarizing the Smyer school on
Aug. 18. Money, clothing and a
$4,500 on July 14 The check was
written on the bank account of Kirk
Jesko. a Lubbock man
Also indicted for forgery was
Maggie Barrera Hernandez Her
bond was set at $2,500.
The defendant was charged w ith
Charles Freemon was indicted
fbrDWl Bond was set at $5,000
Lawmen arrested Freemon for
the offense on Aug 18 in Hockley
County
The grand jury learned that he
had been convicted of drunk driving
in Lamb County in 1988 and 1991
Repeat DWI offender Michael
Ray Godwin was also indicted for
DWI. Bond was recommended at
$10,000.
Godwin had been convicted of
drunk driving in Hockley Countv in
1996.
Patrick James Guerra earned an
indictment for DWI from the grand
passing a forged check for $395 on jury. Bond was set at $5,000.
April 20 It was written on the
account if Dioncia Barrera of
Levelland
Grand jurors returned a rash of
indictments for driving while
intoxicated on Thursday
Scotty Ray Flores was indicted
for DWI His bond was $5,000
Flores was arrested for drunk
driving Sept. 2 in the county. He had
two prior DWI convictions on his
record Both of them occurred in
Hocjjjey County
Guerra was intoxicated at the
time of his arrest on Aug 19.
He w as convicted of the offense
in 1993 and 1995 in the county ,
according to records
Also indicted for DWI was
Miguel Angel Moreno Bond was
$5,000.
Moreno was jailed for drunk
driving May 27 He had two prior
DWI convictions One was in
Lubbock County in 1982. the other
was in Hockley County in 1992.
Gerardo Ornelas was indicted
for unlawful possession of a firearm
by a felon. Bond was recommended
at $10,000.
Ornelas was charged with
unlawfully possessing a firearm
after the fifth anniversary of his
release from supervision He was
convicted of misprision of a felony
in January 1992.
Police arrested Ornelas July 3
after they saw him leave a residence
carrying a pistol, according to a
report
The grand jury indicted Robert
Ortega for injury to a child Bond
w as $2,500.
Ortega was charged with
injuring a boy under the age of 15
by hitting him in the eye with his
hand
George Arona Perales was
indicted for DWI Bond was $5,000.
Percies was arrested for the
offense Aug 19 He had two other
DWI convictions One occurred in
Hockley County in 1991 He was
also convicted of the crime in
Williamson County in 1999
Kevin Lee Ramon of Morton
was indicted for intoxication assault
His bond was $10,000.
Ramon was driving a vehicle
when it struck a utility pole on Ellis
Road the morning of Aug 5 He and
a passenger left the scene
Authorities freed an injured
passenger, Pablo Hernandez of
Morton, who was trapped in the
vehicle.
Lawmen later located Ramon at
a residence He was found to have a
blood alcohol content of 0.130,
reports said
Javier Rios was indicted for
theft of $ 1.500 or more Bond tallied
$2,500
Rios was charged with taking
merchandise valued at more than
$500 from Joe Bob Blackburn on
two occasions last December
An indictment for forgery was
returned against Lucy Salazar Bond
was set at $2,500.
Salazar passed a forged check
for $50 to United supermarket in
July It was written on the checking
account of Stanley Roberts
Grand jurors indicted Lawrence
Kirk Shaffer for DWI Bond was
recommended at $5,000
See INDICTS Page 2
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Regents approve Lubbock
campus move to Reese
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FIRST COTTON BALES - The first codon bales to be ginned for the season in Hockley County were processed
Wednesday morning at Long “S” Gin. About 12 Vi acres of semi-irrigated cotton w as stripped Tuesday at White
Face Farms experimental farm. Atlas cotton seed provided by All Tex Seed Co. was planted April 25 between two
circles It was planted as skip row cotton with two in and one out The crop received 8 inches of natural rainfall
during the year and was defoliated two weeks ago. From the left are: Cleto Vejar, plant manager, gin manager
Prentice Fred; Lettie Roberts, gin office manager; secretary Tana Hill; Rex Carr, White Face Farms manager, and
John Chance, farm foreman Bill De Loache is president of the White Face Farms Corporation (Staff Photo)
South Plains College's board of
regents • authorized ' the
administration Thursday to move
ahead on relocating the Lubbock
Main Street campus to the Reese
Technology Center next y ear
Dr Gary McDaniel, SPC
president, told the board there were
several reasons for the move
“Wg’re out of space
downtown.” McDaniel said, adding
that it would “better serve our
students.”
Enrollment at the Main Street
campus has grown 33 percent in the
past five years McDaniel noted that
there is no regular parking available
there
SPC has used the seven-story
building - a former hospital in
downtown Lubbock - for 25 years
At the same time, the college
will continue to lease space at the
Byron Martin Adv anced Technology
C enter on 24“' Street in Lubbock, he
said
Approximately 800 SPC
students take courses there, while
1.000 attend the downtown campus
McDaniel said the move would
also help SPC to “further develop
our relationship with Texas Tech”
If SPC were to remain at the
downtown campus, the college
would have to spend more than
$150.000 to re-roof the building and
replace an old elevator, he said
Dick Walsh, provost at the
Main Street campus, said students
who are taking allied health
programs at Reese say they prefer
taking classes there
This past year, vocational
nursing and surgical technology
programs were moved from the
Mam Street campus to Reese
Scores for nursing students
appear to be better at Reese than
they were in downtown Lubbock.
Walsh said
“They can hear better and they
stay on campus, he said “We don t
have columns in our classrooms "
The Reese campus has primarily
been used by students in the
See MOVE Page 2
South Plains College sets
record fall enrollment
South Plains College has
enrolled a record 7,490 students
for the 2000 fall semester
according to official census data
tabulated by the SPC Office of
Admissions and Records.
The headcount exceeds by 336
students (4.7 percent) an
enrollment record of 7,154
students set last fall, according to
Bobby James, vice president for
student affairs.
“We've had a very successful
registration for the fall,” said
James.”We are very pleased that
SPC is continuing a pattern of
steady growth and expansion
Topping 7,000 students for a
second year in a row is a
significant accomplishment for the
college and our faculty and staff. It
points to the work we have done to
partner with other educational
entities and the community to
expand college opportunities for
residents in the South Plains area.”
Since 1995, South Plains
College’s enrollment has grown
31.2 percent. Enrollment for the
fall is up at all SPC locations,
James reported.
SPC’s Levelland campus
registered 4,061 students, topping
the 4,000 mark for the first time in
the school's 43-year history.
Enrollment there is up 96 students
(2.4 percent) over last fall. The
SPC Lubbock campus has
registered 1,802 students, up 112
students . (6.6% percent).
Enrollment at SPC’s Reese
See RECORD Page 2
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Rigg, John. Levelland and Hockley County News-Press (Levelland, Tex.), Vol. 22, No. 49, Ed. 1 Sunday, September 17, 2000, newspaper, September 17, 2000; Levelland, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth1168873/m1/1/: accessed June 19, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting South Plains College.